Five Articles on Climate Change and Health
- Colin Pfeiffer
- Jul 31, 2020
- 2 min read
Climate change impacts on human health over Europe through its effect on air quality.
Summary: Increases in particulate matter (PM) and ozone (O3) are known effects of urbanization and climate change. Exposure to PM is known to increase all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality, in both short and long term scenarios. In 2015, 4.5 million worldwide deaths were estimated to be a result of excessive PM exposure. Increased PM and O3 levels over the next century will lead to more deaths and cardiovascular complications, though due to uncertain warming projections, exact estimates are very difficult to compute.
Impact of climate change on global malaria distribution.
Summary: While future temperatures by region are difficult to predict, a study team developed a model to investigate future malaria spread. Higher mean temperatures create more suitable habits for mosquitos, which then spread vector-borne diseases. Average results of their models (based on five different climate change predictions) showed a global increase in populations at-risk for malaria, with the greatest risk seen in East Africa. While less affected, Europe, North America, and southern South Africa also saw increased cases of malaria.
Emerging Vibrio risk at high latitudes in response to ocean warming
Summary: Vibrio cholera bacteria are responsible for an estimated 3-5 million yearly cases and 100k deaths around the globe. Previously confined to warmer, tropical regions, recent studies have found Vibrio in colder seas. Areas of Alaska and the Baltic Sea have recorded Vibrio cases. With Baltic surface temperatures rising an estimated 0.063–0.078 °C per year, Scandinavian and Baltic nations may see rises in Vibrio infections.
Cold and heat waves in the United States.
Summary: Climate change may exacerbate excessive heat waves worldwide. A group of researchers examined the effect of US heat waves from 1987-2000, defining a heat wave as two consecutive days spent above a 95-99 percentile average temperature. Mortality increases non-linearly with heat thresholds- a 95th percentile heat wave saw an 0.8% increase in mortality, while a 99th percentile heat wave saw an over 3% increase in mortality. Deaths may be attributed mostly to cardiovascular problems and dehydration complications.
The influence of climate change on human cardiovascular function.
Summary: Particulate matter (PM) smaller than 2.5 μm can be found in air pollution and induces an inflammatory response, activated macrophages pathways originating from IL-1α, IL-1β, and IL-33. These pathways may lead to both acute and chronic cardiac complications caused by the inflammatory response. Oceans had previously been able to absorb more PM, but due to rising temperatures and acidification caused by climate change, more particulate matter remains in the air. Interestingly, the PM macrophage pathways appear similar to those activated by excessive adipose tissue in metabolically unhealthy obese patients.
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